Is it me, or have foundations improved a lot in the past few years?

Magenta

I may be just imagining this, but when I was a teen (about 9/10 years ago) looking for high street brand foundation, I could never find one pale enough.
I have typical white Irish skin and I remember that Rimmel, Maybelline etc's foundations were only available in various shades of orange.
I remember I didn't wear it because of this. I remember seeing a lot more girls going around with "tide marks" (orange cakey face/white neck) than I see now.

These days most of the high street brands seem to have improved their shade range and now I can pick up a foundation that's the right colour in any pharmacy. Maybe Nicola Roberts' documentary a few years back did us pale girls a massive favour and put the spotlight on this issue?
Or am I imagining this whole thing...?

(On a side note, it's shocking how few high street cosmetics companies cater for black skin. Rimmel in particular).

bronte

Yeah, I definitely think so. It used to be the bane of my life.
I have a really pale skin tone and even only a few years ago it was so difficult to find shades that worked for me.
Everything was too "orange" or "yellow" toned and it used wreck my head!
I recently bought white foundation from Barry M that you can use to take a too dark foundation down a shade if you mix them.
I realised later that I didn't actually have any that were too dark. D'oh!
I think make up companies had to start listening to us.
I still see girls with orange foundation, and can only assume it's out of choice these days?! :pac:

snooleen

Definitely! I remember my sister using the palest shades on me when I was ten/eleven and in musicals with my stage school and I looked like a tangerine. I'm of the typical Irish colouring. Loreal in particular now seem to have everything in 'ivory' which actually makes me look paler! That's probably because it's evening out my skin tone though. I find one thing strange though, sometimes when I go to the more expensive counters to try foundations eg. clinique/estee lauder, the people there always tell me not to wear a foundation that matches my skin, to go a hade darker. I have taken this advice twice and they chose the 'right colour' for me, didn't work out, I prefer to blend. I always insist on having the palest shade they have!

Magenta

Yeah L'Oreal are great, I use True Match liquid and it has a fantastic range of shades, I am N1 which is super pale neutral

bronte

snooleen wrote: »

I find one thing strange though, sometimes when I go to the more expensive counters to try foundations eg. clinique/estee lauder, the people there always tell me not to wear a foundation that matches my skin, to go a hade darker. I have taken this advice twice and they chose the 'right colour' for me, didn't work out, I prefer to blend. I always insist on having the palest shade they have!

Mac are divils for this :mad:

Magenta wrote: »

Yeah L'Oreal are great, I use True Match liquid and it has a fantastic range of shades, I am N1 which is super pale neutral

That's my shade too! :pac:

snooleen

It's so annoying! You just have to be assertive. I like Loreal infallible too, great for hiding spots but its not so infallible. I use it as a concealer when my skins in terrible condition. Again, it comes in the palest of pales.

lornad

I think make up companies have finally copped on that there is a market for paler foundations...or even less tangerine foundations! Definitely think that they've improved. A few years ago I used to dread looking for makeup, nowadays there is so much more choice aroumd ( plus the web is great too)

FredsMom

I love loreal!! I was using the true match liquid but my skin is very bad with acne so I got the true match minerals powder and my skin got better, its much lighter on my skin but still covers blemishs and blends perfectly!!

MissHoneyBun

I experimented with cheaper foundation brands as a young teenager but I gave up as I found them to be a false economy. The shades were never suitable for my fair skin and the coverage was thick and mask like. Now it's Estee Lauder and Lancome all the way. Though I would be open to trying out some pharmacy brands for daywear if they've improved. I've heard good things about a new Bourjois makeup recently

LivingDeadGirl

I still can't get a shade light enough, high end or low end....

How Strange

Yep, I'm very pale as well and have been quite lucky to find pale shades. I find Lancome and Armani foundations brilliant although Lancome have an annoying tendency to discontinue ranges and bring out new ones. Armani Luminous Silk is absolutely fantastic although quite expensive. Estee Lauder was just too heavy as I need something light and translucent. I tried Chanel and hated it, it seemed to have oil in it so it just sat on my skin all day.

I've recently started wearing mineral powder makeup and so far so good although I'll see how I get on during the summer.

There is a tendency by Irish women to wear a shade darker than their skin tone so you get the line under the jaw where the foundation ends. They seem t think it makes them look better or more tanned. It's just horrible and definitely SA's in the department stores are divils for trying to get you to go a shade darker. I usually pick the palest or the second palest one and the SA's try to convince me to go a bit darker.

tanya2007

bronte
I recently bought white foundation from Barry M that you can use to take a too dark foundation down a shade if you mix them.

where did ya buythis? i looked in superdrug in tallaght but they had no founadtion there at all. thanks

StandardAngel

Magenta wrote: »

Yeah L'Oreal are great, I use True Match liquid and it has a fantastic range of shades, I am N1 which is super pale neutral

Me too

bronte

tanya2007 wrote: »

bronte
I recently bought white foundation from Barry M that you can use to take a too dark foundation down a shade if you mix them.

where did ya buythis? i looked in superdrug in tallaght but they had no founadtion there at all. thanks

Heya,

I got it in London unfortunately. (I'm presuming you're in Ireland!)

They have much bigger Barry M counters over here for some reason and they stock the foundation.
You could order it online

http://www.barrym.com/foundation-creme

It's the white shade, and it's pretty cool for toning down foundations a shade or two, or even using as eye base to make colours look more intense.
I hear MAC do a similar foundation, but that's obviously going to be a bit more expensive.

tanya2007

thanks brone ya im in ireland myboyfriend is going over to england in a few days so il get him to have a look if not il just order from the site. the barry m stands here seem to only do eyemake up and nail products.

bronte

tanya2007 wrote: »

thanks brone ya im in ireland myboyfriend is going over to england in a few days so il get him to have a look if not il just order from the site. the barry m stands here seem to only do eyemake up and nail products.

Tell him to head to the superdrug opposite Primark on Oxford Street.

That's where I got mine.

Failing that, I know there's a pretty huge Barry M counter in the flagship Topshop down near oxford circus station!

tanya2007

bronte wrote: »

Tell him to head to the superdrug opposite Primark on Oxford Street.

That's where I got mine.

Failing that, I know there's a pretty huge Barry M counter in the flagship Topshop down near oxford circus station!

thank you , he will be so pleased when i telll him hes to go into superdrug and buy foundation

bronte

tanya2007 wrote: »

thank you , he will be so pleased when i telll him hes to go into superdrug and buy foundation

It must be love!

tanya2007

ha ha he wont hear the last of it if he dosnt get it for me , hopfully hel be able to go now not looking good with this iceland stuff.